Here’s your chance to help Parkland Elementary School win a $50,000 grant. The school is entered in the Pepsi Refresh Grant contest in the hopes of funding its Hug and Lug Summer Book Program. The program will allow for the purchase of 10 books per student to take home and read over the summer.

The contest ends January 31, 2011, and votes should be emailed to pep.si/gGyPEG. What a great program! There is ample research that shows summer reading programs are as effective for readers as ones implemented during the school year. It is during the elementary school years that a love for reading is cultivated and sets the stage for life long readers. The third grade has also been determined as the transitional year for students to become strong readers. The Hug and Lug Program is a perfect way to enhance their reading skills.

I was excited to learn about this contest and I am thrilled to support any program advocating reading for young people. So many people claim that books are dead and all reading will be done on-line. I am not convinced and my hypothesis is tested daily by watching the reading habits of my children and their friends. They read books every day despite the fact that they both have their own lap tops. My son is constantly lending and borrowing books from his friends. The library is still a favorite excursion for them as well. I have also observed these same reading traits in their friends.

Parkland needs your vote. According to a recently published news report, as of Saturday, Parkland was in 166th place. Winning schools need to place in the top 10 to be awarded the grant money. So after reading this posting, please cast your vote for Parkland Elementary.

This is a fun and innovative project for the entire community to partake in and help the school. As we all watch education dollars become more scarce, why not pitch in a fun contest and help ensure books are put in the hands of readers? ”Through books of every kind, I could travel all over the world. Being stuck in the mountains, reading was so important. I could be anyone. I could do anything,” said Dolly Parton. I think Dolly Parton is one of the greatest business people of our time and her quote nicely sums up my sentiments.

So let’s join in and bring the world to the students of Parkland Elementary School.

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Caurie Putnam covers Greece and the rest of the west-side as the "West Extra" columnist for Our Towns. She is a proud west-side resident of two little boys who is in Greece often for yoga at Breathe, skate sharpening at Locker Room Sports, hockey games at Lakeshore, and much more. To share upcoming Greece events and items of interest with Caurie please email her at caurie@urgrad.rochester.edu or contact her on Twitter @CauriePutnam